Turn Your Garage into an Amazing Space

If your garage has become a combination junk room and storage space, it’s time to imagine the possibilities. We’re not talking a workshop – you’ve seen too many of those ranging from incredible to a workbench under a hanging light. We’re talking about thinking outside of the box and creating a space that reflects the things you love best!

A Library

If half the boxes in your garage are filled with books you can’t bear to give away, this is the idea for you. Didn’t you always want tall shelves of books and maybe even one of those ladders that slide so you can reach the top shelf? OK, the shelves are up to you. You can go expensive, build them yourself or go inexpensive, but you might have to give up the sliding ladder. If you live in a mild climate or want to add a portable fan and heater, think about a square of carpeting and a really comfortable chair so you can pull down a favorite and read right on the spot. A small chair and children’s books may encourage your child to read more – in their own special space. Another good thing about a garage library – a shelf can divide a two-car garage space in half vertically so you still have room for the car!

A Pool Room

Face it, pool tables aren’t carpet friendly and a pool cue can be a little hard on the walls. Move your billiard table out to the garage. Add one of those cool, stained glass pool lights, some high stools (they’re perfect for sitting while holding your cue) and a mini-fridge for the cold drinks. You’ll need a place to put out the snacks. If you have existing cabinets with a countertop, think about adding tile to make it more attractive – it’s an easy DIY job. While you’re at it, hang up a dartboard and a chalkboard to keep score. Again, taking this game into the garage will save your indoor walls when that friend who’s a really bad shot comes over. A pool room probably means there won’t be much room for the car, but you’ve been parking in the driveway for years anyway. If you want to go all out, put down some laminate “wood” flooring and use the whole space. Think of all the things you could add – a comfy couch, a big screen TV, great sounds…. The space is yours!

An Office

The nice part of this one is that you can decide how much or how little space to use and leave the rest of the garage for your car and/or storage. If you’ve tried working in the house with the kids running around and the TV on and it just hasn’t worked, the garage may be a perfect retreat. You can go simple with just a desk, a laptop and a chair or you may want the whole enchilada – a desk, a hutch, file cabinets, a great computer, a huge monitor and more! You decide. A folding screen makes a perfect “wall” to define your space from the garage – get the kind that you can use as a bulletin board and you can tack up notes, your to do list, posters and your calendar. You’ll probably want to add some heating or cooling (we sure to vent to the outside if you put in an wall A/C and heater combo), but think how pleasant it will be to open that big garage door on a cool evening and relax in your comfy desk chair – and maybe play a game of solitaire on the computer before you get down to business.

Put your garage to work for you or make it a great fun place to hang out. That pool room can become a great teenage hangout! But, whatever you do, make sure that your garage door is safe and in perfect working condition. Have yearly maintenance to make sure that high tension parts are secure and in good working order. When you increase the use of your garage, you want to make sure that you, your family and everything you add to it is safe from damage from a broken spring. You also want to make sure that the auto-reverse feature is functioning correctly to keep family members and pets safe. Yearly garage door service is a must. That’s basic safety and when it’s done, use your imagination and decide what you want your garage to be!